This blog has nothing to do with gorillas (though I love 'em)...fellow bloggers have inspired me to share vintage images of Disneyland from my personal collection. But don't be surprised if you see something from a World's Fair, Knott's Berry Farm, or someplace else that is cool!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Before we get to today's post, I want to congratulate Matterhorn1959 on becoming a father! Some of you were already aware of this wonderful news, but for those of you who didn't know, why not go to his blog and send him some good wishes?!

Here are two bright, colorful photos from the summer of '63; we'll start with this shot from just outside the west tunnel entrance to Town Square. The C.K. Holliday is passing overhead, pulling the combine (which can now be seen on display in Griffith Park). Shouldn't it be pulling the freight cars?

I zoomed in hoping to see what was on that street-level billboard in the middle. It looks like there are 2 faces, but I couldn't discern who they were; checking IMDB to see what Disney movies were released that year didn't help much. It might be an advertisement for "Savage Sam" or "Summer Magic", or it could be something entirely different!

After walking the complete length of Main Street, we get to the castle of course. Watch out ladies, without a railing, you might fall into the moat! It's never happened in 60 years, but you can never be too careful.

In the early years, yes, the Holliday was assigned to pull the freight train (also known back then as "Retlaw 2," and today as "Holliday Red"). By 1963, however, with three train sets and four locomotives available, any locomotive could be found pulling any of the train sets.

I always thought that the street level billboard just inside Disneyland was the entertainment roster for the day like who's playing at the Golden Horseshoe, Carnation Plaza Gardens or Tomorrowland Stage. The posters for films and television always seemed to be just outside the Disneyland main gate. But, I could be wrong.

Love the Castle pic with the light blue sky and subtle coloring. And then there's Tinkerbell's' aerial wire.

Multiple levels of action and multiple levels of detail - part of what truly makes this place so fascinating. I'd completely forgotten about the mailboxes net to the entrance tunnels.

Speaking of entrance tunnels, I know the attraction poster on the far left, just inside the tunnel mouth, says "Flying Saucers," but at this angle and resolution it looks to me like it says "Fab School." I guess it would be kind of fab to go to school at Disneyland.

Nanook, you are right, the important thing is that we get to see the problems with the hair on those women! If only they knew.

Steve DeGaetano, I figured the explanation was probably something like that! Thanks for the info.

K. Martinez, I was unaware that the street level billboard just inside the tunnels was a thing. Have you seen photos of others? Your theory makes more sense, since Walt would probably not want the modern world so blatantly on display in his 1900’s Main Street. Of course, nowadays they don’t really care!

Chuck, that was from the heyday of people actually writing real letters and postcards! No texts or tweets to be found. “Fab School”, it’s an attraction where everyone gets to be the cool kid!

JG, yes, if anyone deserves to have a Disneyland locomotive named after him, it’s Ward Kimball. I’m glad you got to see that one. I’ve heard people speculating that there will be a second entrance added when Star Wars Land opens, but I doubt that it will happen.

I was lucky enough to play a miniscule part in its rebuilding, and wrote about the engine in a book called "From Plantation to Theme Park - The Story of Disneyland Railroad No. 5, the Ward Kimball."(/Shameless plug)